Bike to Work Day is Friday

County Supervisor Greg Cox, left, and Andy Hanshaw, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, lead a brief ride through the Civic Center Plaza in May 2012.
— Peggy Peattie / Peggy Peattie

County Supervisor Greg Cox, left, and Andy Hanshaw, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, lead a brief ride through the Civic Center Plaza in May 2012.
— Peggy Peattie / Peggy Peattie

SAN DIEGO COUNTY  If you're planning to roll out your bicycle for National Bike to Work Day on Friday, there will be 94 "pit stops" across San Diego County to help keep you pedaling, transportation officials said this week.

During the morning and afternoon commute hours, volunteers will provide cyclists with free refreshments, T-shirts, bike tune-ups and lots of encouragement, they said.

The pit stops are located from Oceanside to Chula Vista and El Cajon to Del Mar, with many concentrated in downtown San Diego. They can be viewed on a Google map at http://bit.ly/11lJYiV, courtesy of the San Diego Association of Governments, the region's transportation planning agency.

Last year, more than 7,200 people took part in the region's Bike to Work Day, according to the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition's website, sdcbc.org. The nonprofit group encourages more people to take up bicycling throughout the year, as well as people "just interested in trying it out" this Friday.

A special afternoon pit stop is scheduled at the San Ysidro Transit Center, in a show of "crossborder collaboration," according to a SANDAG news release. A group of cyclists from Mexico is expected to cross the border into San Diego at 1 p.m. and then return to participate in the Tijuaneando en Bici bike event.

This is the third year that the region's Bike to Work Day has included a binational pit stop, SANDAG said.

In early May, elected officials kicked off National Bike Month with a ride through downtown San Diego.

For overall bicycling resources, including the San Diego Regional Bike Map, go to icommutesd.com.